With Obi Toppin being traded and Isaiah Roby producing a rather mediocre Summer League showing, the Knicks need to look to the free agent market to fill their newfound gap at power forward. While this could occasionally be solved by running Josh Hart or RJ Barrett, this will only work so often.
In reality, the Knicks need a more sustainable option at the four to be the best team possible in 2023-24. The best part about this is that there are plenty of power forwards still available for New York to sign that won’t break the bank.
3 power forwards the New York Knicks can still sign through free agency
3. Derrick Jones Jr.
Let’s assume the Knicks wish to add a power forward that can succeed in few minutes. In that case, they should look no further than Derrick Jones Jr. Not only was Jones a solid player despite playing just 14.0 minutes per game this past season, but he also has a somewhat similar play style to Toppin while being the far better defender.
In 2022-23, Jones averaged 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 33.8% from three on 1.3 attempts. These numbers certainly aren’t mind-boggling, but for the limited minutes Jones gets, they’re more than acceptable.
Jones, like Toppin, is a lob-threat power forward that isn’t the best shooter in the world. However, unlike Toppin, Jones brings tons of value defensively that the Knicks would love to have off their bench alongside Immanuel Quickley, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart.
The fit may be far from perfect, but we’ve seen the Knicks do more with less. At least Jones can make up for his lack of shooting with defense. In addition to this, it wouldn’t cost much at all to bring the 26-year-old in.